


Hunky Hottie Moves to Welcome

by twistedsky



Series: towne lyfe [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Small Town, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-03-12 13:37:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13548438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twistedsky/pseuds/twistedsky
Summary: A is for Thor's Arrival.





	Hunky Hottie Moves to Welcome

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first part of a series that flyingthesky and I are writing together about all of the MCU characters living the small town life.
> 
> Beacon Falls is definitely Beacon Hills meets Mystic Falls.

_April 2017_

Thor Odinson is on his way to Beacon Falls when his car breaks down on the middle of the road. A quick examination of the car tells him everything he needs to know--he has no idea what the problem is, or how to fix it.

A quick look at his phone also tells him that he doesn’t have cell service.

Thor is on his way to Beacon Falls for a vacation--he’s heard stories of the location’s supernatural entities. You can tell him however many times you want that they’re just rumors to increase tourism in the area, but as he told his brother Loki, he still wants to meet a ghost.

Or a werewolf, maybe.

Instead, he’s in the middle of the road, and he hasn’t seen people in several miles. He pulls out his map now, and takes it in stride.

This is just an opportunity for a fun story, or maybe a side adventure.

It looks like there’s a small town nearby, and it's probably much closer than trying to head back to Gotham. Beacon Falls is definitely too far, and there's no way he'll make it on foot.

The random small town it is. Thor can't exactly afford to be picky.

He grabs a few bottles of water and shoves them in his suitcase, which he rolls behind himself. He locks his car, and hopes for the best.

It seems to be a fairly agricultural area, if the fields on either side of the road are anything to go by. About a mile into his walk, Thor sees a sign: _Welcome to_ it says, and then part of the metal sign is completely unreadable. He’s two miles away from town, but it could be worse.

He takes a sip of his water, and carries on.

He starts to see some houses, but he figures he might as well head straight into town at this point to see if he can find a mechanic.

He sees a rustic restaurant bar first, a place he’s immediately drawn to. Happy noises and light music leak out onto the street. The sign says _the Farm_.

Thor loves it immediately. When he steps inside, he heads right to the bar.

He catches the attention of the bartender, who comes over to greet him.

“You’re new,” the bartender says. “What can I get you?”

“Directions to the local mechanic,” Thor replies, “My car broke down a few miles out of town. And a beer, please, while you’re at it.”

“Ah,” the bartender smiles sympathetically, and pours him a drink. “I’m Clint, the owner of the Farm. You’d be surprised by how many people wander into town looking for a mechanic. Are you here to sightsee?”

“Sort of,” Thor admits, and nods his thanks for the drink. “I’m headed to Beacon Falls. I’ve heard it’s a good place to visit.”

Clint chuckles, but Thor doesn’t take offense, since he doesn’t seem mean-spirited, just gently amused. “It’s a fun place,” Clint says, then looks around. “But our town is better. You should see our founding festival. Better than anything else in the state. We’re in guidebooks.” Clint reaches down under the bar and grabs a book, plopping it down in front of Thor.

“Interesting,” Thor reaches for it. “Small town marvels.” He frowns. “It just says welcome. What’s your town’s na—“Clint steps away for a moment and Thor just shrugs and takes a sip of his drink.

When Clint heads back, he’s got a map of the town, which Thor takes gratefully. “You want to go here,” Clint says, circling a spot at the middle of the town.

“Mechanic and florist shop?” Thor reads. “I love it.”

Clint laughs. ”It works. That's all that maters."

Thor finishes his drink, pays, and then waves his thanks to Clint, who moves on to other customers.

He steps outside of the Farm onto the street, and heads towards the very center of the town.

The florist/mechanic shop looks exactly like he’d expect from the outside—a little dual shop, called Rogers’ Auto Shop and Floral Arrangements.

The bell above the door jingles when Thor walks through, and his first sight is a well-dressed brunette woman staring down at a newspaper. She doesn’t look up when he comes in.

There are flowers everywhere. The left corner near the entryway to the store seems to be the waiting area for the mechanic, if the sign that says, "Wait here for mechanic" can be believed.

There’s a broad door with a Keep Out sign near where the woman is sitting, which is probably the door to the auto shop.

“Hello there,” Thor says, smiling brightly, and doing his best to charm the woman.

The woman looks up, and there’s a brief moment of confusion, and then she smiles. “You’re not from around here,” she says wryly.

“No, I’m not. I’m Thor—my car broke down outside of town. I need to speak with a mechanic," Thor explains.

The woman snorts. “Don’t we all.”

“Is the mechanic not good at their job?” Thor can't help but ask.

She smiles, and Thor isn’t immune to how pretty she is.

“They're both a lot more than just mechanics,” she says. “I’m Jane, by the way. Jane Foster. Scientist and city councilwoman. If you just sit here, Mack should be back from lunch soon. Our other mechanic teaches part time at GU—that’s Gotham University—so he’s not here either. I mean, you could ask Steve for help, but he prefers the flowers. And the art—” she motions to the art on the shop’s walls. Thor hadn’t noticed.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Jane,” Thor says, and he sits down in the seat next to hers. “Have you been waiting here long?”

“About ten minutes. I got out of a council meeting early, so I thought I’d wait.” Jane frowns. “Am I rambling? I feel like I’m rambling.”

“Not at all,” Thor replies. “How long have you lived here?”

Jane smiles. “My entire life. We get a lot of visitors who never leave, but I've always lived here. I went to school out of state, but I knew I’d come back. It’s my town.” Her smile is soft and fond, and sweet.

“It seems nice,” Thor says, though so far it seems like any other town he’s ever seen. Of course, he loves small towns.

Jane tilts her head to the side curiously. “Where are you headed? I assume it wasn’t here, since the Founders' Festival is still a few months out.”

“Beacon Falls,” Thor tells her. “I’m a bit of a supernatural junkie.”

“Really?” Jane narrows her eyes. “Interesting."

"It can be," Thor agrees. They sit there for a few moments in companionable silence.

"Oh," Jane says suddenly, "You should call and have your car towed here." She points to a sign on the wall that he hadn’t seen, telling him to do just that. “It’ll save you some time.”

“My phone doesn’t seem to have service here,” Thor explains, pulling it out of his pocket and holding it up.

“There’s only one cell phone service that works in town,” Jane tells him. “You can use my phone, or use the shop phone. Mack and Steve won’t mind.”

“Thank you,” Thor nods his thanks. They share a brief smile before he gets up. “You’re very kind, Jane.”

Jane waves him off. “Happy to help.”

Thor steps over to the phone, and pulls it off its hook, typing in the number on the wall.

The door jingles again, and a tall, muscled man walks in.

“Jane, you’re early,” the man says, but he smiles and greets her cheerfully. Thor assumes that this is Mack.

“Welcome Services, how can I help you?” Thor hears, and he redirects his attention.

“I need my car towed to Rogers’ Auto Shop and Floral Arrangements,” he explains, and gives the woman the rest of his information.

He hangs up the phone, and heads over to where Mack is standing, offering his hand.

“Thor Odinson,” he says. “Wonderful to meet you.”

“Alphonso Mackenzie,” the man replies. “From your phone call, I’m going to assume that you’re having car trouble,” he says with a smile.

“Unfortunately, you're not wrong,” Thor agrees. “It broke down outside of town.”

“Ah,” Mack says. “I’ll take a look at it when it gets here, and we’ll see what the damage is.” Mack walks over to a nearby desk, and taps on his computer keyboard. “Let me help our dear councilwoman first.”

While Jane pays and gets her keys back, Thor looks at the artwork on the walls.

“It was nice meeting you, Thor,” Jane says on her way out, and Thor waves goodbye. She disappears through the door, and Thor's almost sad to see her go.

When his car comes in, Thor watches as Mack takes a look at it. “Your alternator’s bad,” Mack says. “And it looks like one of your motor mounts is too. Easy fix, but it’ll set you back a few hundred dollars with parts.”

“When do you think you can have it done?” Thor asks. The money is less of an issue here than time--there’s a ghost-themed bar with some special event tonight, and he’d been hoping to make it there on time.

“I’m a little backlogged,” Mack says, “Tomorrow morning, probably.”

Thor winces, but then sighs. “I guess the Ghosts of Werewolves was not meant to be,” he says wistfully.

Mack tilts his head to the side, “Really?”

“Of course,” Thor says, “I hear the Ghost Rider has incredible themed cocktails.”

Mack chuckles and steps over to a big cabinet. He opens it up and pulls out a flyer. “If you’re looking for a place to stay,” he says, “You should stay at the local B&B. No ghosts, but great food and drinks. Plus, the Farm has karaoke night tonight, so that should be fun.”

“I love karaoke,” Thor says.

~~~

When he stops back by the Farm, Clint greets him.

“Did you fix your problem?” Clint asks.

“Not till tomorrow morning,” Thor says, sitting down at the bar. “I’m going to get a room at the local B&B, and stay the night in your nice little town.”

“Oh good,” Clint says, then he looks over Thor’s shoulder. “Nat, come over here.”

Thor looks around to see an intense-looking red headed woman come up beside him at the bar. She nods at Clint, who puts a glass and a bottle of vodka on the table, and she smiles at him.

“This is Thor, he needs a room for the night while his car gets fixed,” Clint says.

Nat nods. She gives Thor a careful look, and he feels a little like he’s on trial. “The rainbow room,” she says. “That’s the one you’ll stay in.”

She says it firmly and clearly, so it’s obvious that that’s the room he’ll stay in. “Sounds great,” Thor says.

“I’m Natasha,” she says, then pours a glass of vodka and drinks it.

Thor orders a drink, and another, and then another. He gets boisterous and happy, and it’s nice. He sings off-key, and definitely too loud.

He’s finishing up a duet of Summer Nights with some guy named Bruce he met at the bar when he sees the girl he met in the flower shop/auto shop.

She’s standing next to a girl who is frowning down at her phone.

“Jane, right?” Thor asks with a tilt of his head and a smile.

“Yes,” she says, smiling back at him. “I’m guessing your car needs a little extra TLC?”

“Ah, yes,” Thor sighs, “Until tomorrow.”

“Well,” Jane says, “I hope you enjoy yourself here while you wait. Welcome.”

They smile at each other until Jane’s friend clears her throat.

“Hi,” she says. “I’m Darcy.”

“Oh, sorry,” Thor says, “It’s nice to meet you, Darcy.”

Darcy looks at him, and she’s still frowning. “You’re very pretty,” she says.

“Uh, thank you,” Thor replies, and Darcy smiles.

“Maybe too pretty,” Darcy muses. She turns to Jane. “Don’t you think?”

Thor looks at Jane, whose face darkens slightly.

“Sure,” she says.

“So, what is it that you do, Darcy?”

Darcy shrugs. “I’m the assistant for the head of Urban Planning and Tourism.”

“That sounds lovely,” Thor says.

“I was a poli sci major. It's tangentially related,” Darcy explains. “What do you do?”

“Family business,” Thor says vaguely. It's complicated, and he doesn't really want to get into it. He has a lot of family money, but everything he does for the business just feels like it could be done by anyone else. It's a source of tension with his father.

“Hmm,” Darcy frowns again. “Be safe,” she says to Jane, and then turns back to Thor. “Nice meeting you.” She takes off after that, and Thor and Jane watch her go.

“She seems nice,” Thor comments.

“She isn’t,” Jane says. “I mean, she is, but only when she likes you.”

Thor tilts his head to the side, looking down at Jane. “Does she?”

Jane smiles at him, and his chest feels warm and tight. “Too soon to tell. Anyway,” Jane says, “I should go. Good luck with your ghost town.”

  
“Thank you,” Thor holds out his hand, and she shakes it. Clint waves him over, and the scary redhead looks like she wants a drinking partner.

Well, Thor doesn't go down without a fight.

~~~

The B&B is nice--as nice as most B&Bs, and with his love of small town horror stories, he’s seen quite a few.

He wakes up in the morning to the Rainbow Room--colorful, comfortable, and somehow he can’t imagine the B&B’s proprietor Natasha decorating it.

But people surprise you.

Thor has a nice brunch, and then heads over to the flower shop/auto shop.

Today, there’s a blond man tending to the flowers.

“Hello there,” Thor says, walking across the shop. “Is Mack in?”

The man looks up. “It’s Mack’s day off. Bucky’ll be in soon, he can help you.”

“Oh, good,” Thor replies. "You have a lovely place here.”

“Thanks,” the man smiles. “I’m Steve--Steve Rogers. Are you picking up or dropping off?”

“Picking up,” Thor explains. “I’m Thor. My car broke down outside of town.”

“Ah, _you’re_ Thor,” Steve chuckles. “I’ve heard about you.”

“Really?” Thor asks. “I’ve been here less than twenty-four hours.”

“It’s a small town,” Steve says with a shrug. “And rumor has it that you almost managed to drink Natasha under the table.”

“I’ll have you know that I could have done it,” Thor says. “It’s just considered rude where I’m from to outdrink your host.”

“And you needed a place to stay,” Steve says with a smile. “That’s what they all say.”

Thor watches as Steve spritzes some flowers with water. “Why flowers and cars?”

Steve looks back up at him. “You should do the thing you love, right? Where you are, and what you do--you should make sure you’re happy with it.”

Considering that he drove across the country to visit Beacon Falls, Thor can understand that. It may not be his occupation, or his destiny, but it makes him happy.

Or, at least, it fills the void until eventually he does manage to find the place and person he wants to be.

Steve seems nice enough, but Thor doesn’t know him well enough to express his thoughts. At least, not the ones that worry him.

“Good for you,” Thor says. “It’s a nice place. You wouldn’t think flowers and cars would go together.”

“Eh,” Steve says, “Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. Doesn’t matter. The town needs us.”

It’s a nice thought, Thor thinks, to be needed by a group of people--not just as an individual, but as a member of a community. This is why he likes visiting small towns--that sense of home that you don’t get anywhere else.  Of course, he’s always been on the outside looking in.

~~~

After Bucky--who is an interesting guy, with a man-bun that Thor respects--shows him the work that they did, Thor thanks him gratefully and pays.

And just like that, Thor’s on his way to Beacon Falls.

He checks in at the horror themed hotel, and then gets a glass of a bloody wine.

It’s cheesy, with a dash of scary. He doesn’t quite jump when the werewolves howl, but he does shiver slightly.

All in all, it’s a nice diversion, and he takes some good pictures.

On his way out of the town, he hesitates when he sees a sign for the nameless town. Maybe a drink wouldn’t hurt, he thinks.

~~~

There’s a water slide in the middle of the town square--or, more accurately, a series of water slides.

“Take off your shirt, and jump in the water,” Thor hears, and turns to see Darcy.

You don’t have to tell him twice. Thor strips down, and then gets in a line for a fun-looking slide. Darcy is wearing a bathing suit, so this is going to be a lot more convenient for her than it will be for him. But it'll be fun either way.

“So what brings you back here?” Darcy asks. “I thought you were leaving town.”

“I did,” Thor says, “But I thought I’d stop back by on my way home. It’s a long trek.”

“Why didn’t you just fly?” Darcy asks. “We’re in the middle of nowhere, so the drive from the nearest airport is already a pain in the ass.”

“I like the little trips that happen around a big road trip,” Thor says. It’s a weak explanation, but close to the truth.

“Where are you from?” Darcy asks.

“Asgard,” Thor says.

“That is far." Darcy frowns. They step forward as the line moves, and Thor jumps down the slide, screaming with joy.

It’s fun--it’s not a bad way to spend the afternoon. It turns out it’s part of a fundraiser so he donates to the local high school, and enjoys the sunshine.

He loses track of Darcy pretty quickly, and ends up face-to-face with Jane.

“You, again!” Jane exclaims. “I thought you were leaving.”

“I was,” Thor says, “But then I got wrapped up in this delightful event.”

Jane smiles at him, and she’s  . . . wonderful. “We’ve got a lot of those,” Jane says.

“Why don’t you tell me about them?” Thor asks, and Jane motions with her hand for them to start walking.

“Well, it’s April now. We’re mostly planning for the Founders' Festival--we celebrate for a week straight--except for the special anniversaries, when we go all out for two weeks.” Jane sounds proud, but also overwhelmed.

“When’s the Founders' Festival?” Thor asks.

“July--but we have all kinds of events leading up to it--ice cream socials, water slide events, various contests. The usual,” Jane says.

“I feel like you’ve wrapped every small town cliche in a cute little bow,” Thor muses.

“Yes,” Jane says proudly. “We try.”

“It’s charming,” Thor says, and he’s not just talking about the town.

~~~

He stays the night in the town again--this time because it feels like a nice idea, and he’s enjoying meeting the people. He likes _Jane._

She’s brilliant, and beautiful, and she loves her town.

He runs into her in the morning at the local bakery/coffee shop. Everything seems to be a hybrid here, but this combination feels natural.

“Grabbing some coffee for the road?” Jane asks, and Thor nods.

“It’s a long drive,” he says. He usually doesn’t mind, but it had been a chore to drag himself out of bed.

“It could be worse,” Jane says, “I have to personally confirm that our town maps are accurate. One of the other council members thought that it was important that we reconfirm the facts that we’ve known since the town was founded. Which is fine, I guess.”

“That’s an interesting job for a councilperson,” Thor points out.

Jane shrugs. “We’re here to service the town, whatever that might be.” She doesn’t sound like she begrudges that. She sounds fond, if tired.

“Would you like some company?” Thor asks before he can even think it through. It’s impulsive, but that's not exactly a new quality he's picked up.

Jane’s eyes widen in surprise. “It’s a big project,” she says, “We have to double-check  some zoning issues, property lines. It’ll be boring. And you’re leaving,” she points out.

“I don’t have anywhere important to be,” Thor replies. “What’s another day? There’s always tomorrow.”

Jane frowns at him, like he’s a math problem she’s trying to figure out.

“Sure,” she replies finally. “I’d love the company.”

~~~

_May 2017_

It turns out that zoning issues are incredibly boring--but being with Jane isn’t.

He finds himself showing up every day at that coffee shop early in the morning to see what she’s up to for the day. Sometimes she directs him towards other people--he spends a few days as a handyman, a few hours as a bartender when Clint’s bartender doesn’t show up (and he’s never allowed to do that again, because apparently being good at drinking doesn’t make you good at pouring the drinks), and a full week as an assistant PE coach. He’s genuinely not sure how the last thing happens.

People start coming up to him in the coffee shop--the FitzSimmons Bakery, which takes an oddly scientific approach to food sometimes.

“Are you going home tomorrow?” Darcy asks dryly, about halfway through May.

Today, he’s the shoeshine guy for the government building. Of course, halfway through the day, he’s pretty sure this government doesn’t _have_ a regular shoeshine guy. That seems like something Darcy might think is funny.

She’d come with lunch around noon though, so at least she’s committed to her charades.

“I don’t know,” Thor says, and he surprises himself again. Every day he seems to find a new reason to stay.

The texts from his family and friends insist that he return home, and yet--he can’t seem to bring himself to leave.

He likes getting breakfast with Jane, and having dinner at the Farm, and meeting all of the people of the town on his random errands. He’s already got five touristy shirts that just say _Welcome_ on it, which seems to be the unofficial name of the town. It’s weird, but it’s nice.

“That’s the last time I’m going to ask you that,” Darcy says now, interrupting his thoughts. “Because I’m pretty sure you’re not leaving, like, ever.”

“I’m on vacation,” Thor protests, but it sounds weak to his ears.

Darcy rolls her eyes. “Thor, you’ve been here a month. Move out of the B&B, get a real job, and deal with it. You’re one of us now.”

Thor can’t help the smile that breaks out over his face.

“Oh, and you should ask Jane out,” Darcy tells him. “I hate this awkward phase of the relationship. You’re making me antsy,” Darcy takes a bite of her sandwich.

Thor bites into his own chicken club, and thinks she might have a point.

~~~

“Loki’s causing trouble again,” Sif tells him that night on the phone. “Brunhilde and the guys are keeping an eye on him, but you know how he gets.”

“I’m aware,” Thor says. Thor’s brother is . . . complicated. Their relationship is best expressed as an episode of Fear Factor.

“When are you coming home?” Sif asks. She’s one of his closest friends, and she’s been reasonably patient thus far. Especially compared with some of his other friends. And his father.

“I don’t think I am,” Thor admits. “I’m going to stay.”

Sif is quiet, and for a moment Thor wonders if the call has dropped.

“Okay,” Sif says finally. “Is it the nearby supernatural town?”

“Nothing has ever been proven,” Thor says, “But I think it could be the real deal.”

Sif laughs, not unkindly. “Is it the girl?” she prods. “Jane? You mention her a lot.”

“Partly,” Thor admits. “But it’s more than that. I feel like I’m . . . home.”

“Then I’m happy for you,” Sif says, “But I hope you know that when we all come to visit, they’ll probably run you out of town.” She sounds like she thinks it might be fun, and he’s reminded of why they’re friends.

“Thank you,” he replies.

“So, what are you going to do?” Sif asks.

“I’m not sure yet,” Thor tells her truthfully. “But I’ll figure it out.”

~~~

“Good morning, Jane,” Thor says, lighting up when he sees her in line at the coffee shop.

The people of this town have a habit, just as everyone in every town, big or small, that he’s ever seen before.

“Good morning, Thor,” she says, and she looks happy to see him. That may just be wishful thinking though.

He steps behind her, and Jane rubs her hands together. “FitzSimmons made tarts today. I can smell them from here.”

“It smells like coffee,” Thor says, and she frowns.

“Okay, I can see them from here, and they look amazing.” She’s so excited that he decides he’ll need to try these tarts. Simmons and Fitz tend to make different foods depending on their moods, so he hasn’t had one of their tarts yet.

When someone passes by with one, he can see the appeal.

“Not as amazing as you,” Thor says, and it’s cheesy, but he can’t help himself.

Jane snorts. “Wow, that’s a terrible line.”

“It’s not a line if it’s true,” Thor replies.

“Pretty sure the two aren’t mutually exclusive. She gives him a strange look. “What’s going on with you today?”

“Would you like to go on a date with me this weekend?” Thor asks, and Jane looks at him in surprise.

“Yes,” she replies as she recovers. “Absolutely.”

Thor smiles. “Wonderful.”

~~~

They have a picnic near the center of town. Thor brings the food, and Jane brings the wine.

And then, Thor tells her that he’s planning on staying in town.

“I’m not sure if I’m surprised or not,” Jane replies. She looks . . . relieved. At least, Thor hopes that she does, and it's not just wishful thinking.

“I am,” Thor admits. “I’ve always had a bit of a case of wanderlust.”

“Well,” Jane says, “I’m glad you’re staying.”

“Me too,” Thor says, “If only so that I can do this.” He teasingly tosses a grape at her, trying to be fun.

Jane surprises him by leaning forward, grabbing the collar of his shirt, and kissing him.

“Sorry,” Jane says, “It felt a little overdue.”

Thor smiles down at her. “It was.”

“Good,” Jane says, “At least it wasn’t just me.”

“It wasn’t,” Thor assures her.

~~~

_June 2017_

In June, the town becomes something else. The people seem more energetic than usual, like they’re imbued with a frenetic energy. There are twice as many banners up, and three times as many town events.

“Founders' Festival,” Jane says when he asks.

“Is it always like this?”

“Yes, though sometimes it’s worse.” Jane keeps flipping through her festival notes as Thor watches.

“Huh,” Thor says. “Should I be worried?"

Jane smiles, and leans over to kiss his check.

“Aw, you have no idea what you’re in for,” she tells him.

When July comes, and the Founders' Festival nears, she proves him right.

People wear costumes, and there are events every single day. One day, Thor sees a high school life skills class visit Rogers’ Auto Shop and Floral Arrangements for lessons, and then the next someone throws a glitter party, and Thor is covered in glitter for days.

“I feel like I’ve been to the beach,” Thor says, “And I have sand in uncomfortable places.”

“The cannon was new,” Jane tells him. “I think it was a Tony Stark invention.” She looks down at herself. “I’m sparkling like a Twilight vampire.”

“I don’t think they sparkle as much as they sort of  . . . glisten. They look sweaty,” Thor muses.

Jane laughs, and Thor can’t help but smile in response.

“My brother would love the glitter. He loves any chance to make a mischievous mess,” Thor says, almost wistfully.

“You should invite him to come for the Festival,” Jane suggests, but Thor shakes his head.

“I’ve invited everyone, but most of them can’t get away. I expect Sif and Brunhilde will make an appearance. My mother is very excited. My father . . . less so.”

Jane reaches out her hand to take Thor’s, and squeezes it gently.

He always hopes that things will be different, and they rarely are. He resolves to make another push to get his friends to come visit the town. Maybe they'll love it as much as he does.

~~~

“Your girlfriend’s permit is a pain in my ass,” Darcy’s boss Raina says one day while Thor is temping at the government building again.

“Sorry?” he replies.

Raina shrugs, and reaches down to smooth her dress. She has a fondness for flowers. “Founders' Festival is a logistical nightmare. Even more so when you work for the government. Of course, Jane doesn’t have to deal with bureaucracy day in and day out.”

“Well, she does,” Thor points out. “She’s part of the council, just like you.”

“I’m the government representative,” Raina says, “It’s a little different. Anyway, tell Jane that everything is good to go for the Festival. Somehow she always manages to miss my calls.”

“She’s a busy woman,” Thor says.

“Aren’t we all?” Raina asks dryly, then walks away.

She’s a mysterious sort, and Thor's not sure what to make of her.

Darcy comes over to his desk now, and plops down on a nearby chair.

“Raina came through for the fireworks,” Darcy says. “It’s going to be amazing.”

“I can’t wait to see it,” Thor admits. “I invited some friends to come for the week. Mostly so that they’ll stop bothering me. I think some of them think I’m being held here against my will.”

“Sure you are,” Darcy says, “If you tried to leave, I’d tie you to a tree. Everyone would come to point and laugh at you. Silly man, thinks he can leave town. Now he’s tied to a tree. It’d be a nice tourist attraction.”

“And that’s exactly why they’re worried,” Thor replies. “But they’ll be fine when they see how happy I am here.”

“Anyone cute?” Darcy asks. “I could use a date.”

“Sorry,” Thor says. “The only one currently available is Loki, and I don’t think you’d be a good match.”

“Loki’s your brother, right?” Darcy frowns. “I could make that work. I bet he’s as hot as you are, right?”

“He’s adopted,” Thor replies.

“That didn’t answer my question,” Darcy points out. She pulls out her phone. “I’ll check your instagram photos.”

She scrolls for a few minutes in silence, and Thor just goes back to work, waiting for whatever revelation she comes up with.

“You take a lot of photos, dude,” Darcy says. “Here we go. Hmm. Pretty girls.” She narrows her eyes. “Should I be worried?”

“No,” Thor says without looking up.

“Hmm,” Darcy says, “Wait, the string bean?” She holds up her phone, and he looks over. He nods. “Hmm,” she repeats. “Maybe.”

“He’s a bit of a troublemaker,” Thor warns, but she waves a hand.

“I like a little trouble,” Darcy says. “Have you met me?”

~~~

“Get up,” Jane whispers. It’s a loud whisper, to the point that she might as well just yell it. “You need to sneak out before Darcy gets up.”

“She knows we’re dating,” Thor groans. “There’s no reason for me to sneak out in the middle of the night. She said good night to me before heading off to bed.”

Jane frowns, and she looks beautiful.

But more importantly, Thor wants to crawl back into bed. She’d woken him up in the middle of an odd dream about his brother Loki shapeshifting from a snake and stabbing him. It had been strange, but interesting.

Jane frowns. “I have to get up at 5 AM to work on prep for the festival. If you’re here, you’re helping.”

“I’m happy to help,” Thor points out. “I offered to help various times, and you’ve taken me up on it every time.”

“Eh,” Jane acknowledges his point.

“I’ve been here every night this week,” Thor points out.

“But you haven’t really . . . stayed.”

“Do you really want me to leave?” Thor asks. “Because if you do, then I understand.”

“No,” Jane says with a sigh. “I don’t.”

“Good,” Thor says, and he leans over to kiss her cheek. “Now I have to go to the bathroom.”

He heads down the hallway and nearly trips over an umbrella. “Damn it,” he hisses.

On his way back from the bathroom, he feels like he's been struck by lightning.

He falls to the floor, and the lights turn on.

“What the hell?” he asks, and he looks up to see Darcy.

“Sorry!” she winces. “I’m so sorry. I got freaked out. I thought Jane already kicked you out. And you walk heavier than she does, so, you know, stranger danger.”

“No,” Thor groans. “I’m staying the night.”

Jane walks out into the hallway then. “What’s going on out here?” she asks, and then rushes forward when she sees Thor on the ground.

“What happened?”

“I tased him,” Darcy says, then shrugs. “It happens.” She turns back to Thor. “I’m really sorry.”

“I’m fine,” Thor says.

Jane leans down to kiss his cheek. “I think we’ll hesitate before tasing people in the house from now on,” she says to Darcy.

“Sure,” Darcy agrees. “I’ll be more careful. Though, to be fair, this thing isn’t going to do any lasting damage unless I want it to.”

“I really hope you don’t want it to,” Thor says.

“Again,” Darcy says. “I’m sorry. Things are different now, and it’s a bit of an adjustment.”

Darcy turns and heads back to her room, and Jane cups his cheek with her hand.

“Sorry,” she says. “I probably should have just let you sleep.”

“If not tonight,” Thor says, sitting up. “Then it would have happened another night.”

_~~~_

_July 2017_

It hasn’t been long, but Thor is pretty sure he’s in love with Jane.

However, as a city councilwoman, she’s lost her damn mind over the Founders' Festival.

“Mayor Fury is a big fan of topping himself,” Jane tells him when she climbs into bed. She nearly collapses, she’s so tired.

“I’m sure it’ll be impressive.”

“It always is,” Jane tells him. “It’s a big deal. People come from all over the country for this. The tourism is really great for the town. It has to be perfect. Or, at least, perfect chaos.”

“The phrasing of that worries me,” Thor tells her, but she just sighs.

“You’ll see,” she tells him, and it strikes fear into his heart. He looks over to say as much, but her eyes have closed and she's already fallen asleep.

~~~

The town becomes unrecognizable.

There are tents and tables and all kinds of booths set up everywhere. You can bob for apples, or you can play chess with the local inventor’s robot. Or, you can just get very, very drunk.

There are endless options, and the whole town is buzzing with excitement.

And when his friends and his brother show up, he’s filled with it too.

“You guys are going to stay at the local B&B. Natasha is intense, but the food is incredible, and the beds are all very comfortable,” Thor tells them.

“Point me toward the food,” Fandral says, “Sif wouldn’t let me eat, because she said I’d probably throw up in the car.”

“You always get carsick,” Hogun points out.

“Exactly,” Sif agrees. “And since I drove most of the way, I made the rules.”

“Where’s the bar?” Brunhilde asks. “Small towns always have bars. There’s never anything else to do.”

“That won’t be a problem,” Thor says, “There’ll be plenty to do.” He pulls brochures out of his bag and gives one to each of them, even Loki, who is sulking. He’d driven here himself, and he seems a little moodier than usual. “We’ll check in at the B&B--” Thor points to the nearby building, where he’d met up with them. “And then we’ll walk through town. I’ll give you the tour, and you guys can see what seems like fun.”

“Drinking,” Brunhilde says, and the rest of the group murmurs their agreement.

Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg all get very excited when they pass by a series of baked goods booths, and quickly splinter off.

“I just started the tour,” Thor says, turning to Sif.

Sif laughs, and puts her arm through Thor’s. “Why don’t you introduce us to the girl who has captured your heart, instead?”

“Yes, we're very excited to meet her,” Brunhilde agrees.

Loki finally chimes in. “I don’t see the appeal of small towns. Lack of amenities, one option for everything--which, of course, means there are no options at all. Just . . . one of everything.”

Thor frowns. “Brother, are you okay?”

Loki looks at him, and for a moment Thor thinks he might open up and tell him what’s going on. But instead, he just smiles. “I’m fine.”

“Is that a bouncy castle?” Brunhilde asks. “I love those.” She pulls off her shoes and tosses them at Sif, who tucks them inside of her bag. Brunhilde runs off across the grass, and they quickly lose sight of her.

“She has the spirit of a child,” Sif says, gently amused.

“It’s annoying,” Loki says.

“It’s sweet,” Sif disagrees. She frowns at Loki, but that’s usually how their interactions go.

“It’s nice,” Thor agrees. “I invited you all here so that you could have fun.”

“Hmm,” Loki just makes a noise, and Thor decides to ignore him. It feels like the appropriate brotherly response.

“Let’s go,” Thor says, and they head toward the Farm. Jane and Darcy should still be setting up there, which means that now is the perfect opportunity to introduce them to Sif and Loki. It’s unfortunate that he’s lost the rest of his friends, but they’ll show up again at some point. This is usually how things go when they’re all together.

“Quaint,” Loki says when they enter the bar.

“It’s nice,” Sif disagrees. “Homey. I like it.”

“Me too,” Thor smiles at her. “Oh, that’s Jane--” he waves to Jane over Sif’s shoulder, and Jane comes over with Darcy.

“Jane, Darcy--” Thor points, “This is Sif, and this is Loki. We seem to have lost the others on the way over.”

“That’s how we pick up stragglers,” Jane says with a smile. “It’s wonderful to meet you. Welcome to our town. We’re glad to have you.”

“It seems lovely,” Sif says.

"It's okay," Darcy says, but Jane shoots her a look, and she laughs. "Okay, it's pretty great."

“Are there any tours?” Sif asks now. “I’d love a chance to get to know the historical side of the town.”

“There are a few,” Jane says. “Do you have a brochure?”

Sif hands hers over, and Jane flips through it. “There’s a whole set over here. I recommend against the government tour. I’m giving it, and it’s boring. But the historical buildings and documents tour isn’t so bad. Of course, our town charter went missing a while back, so that leads right into the conspiracy theories tour.”

“How does one’s town charter just go missing?” Loki asks, showing genuine curiosity and befuddlement.

“It happens,” Darcy says defensively.

“Does it?” Loki asks, narrowing his eyes in judgment.

“Anyway,” Darcy says, ignoring him. It’s not the worst decision. “Jane’s right. The conspiracy theories tour is a lot of fun. They even give you wine. They talk about the old tunnels, but no one who actually knows about the old tunnels will tell you where they are.” Darcy shrugs. “One of these days--”

“There’s a dance recital at 2 PM,” Jane says, “I definitely recommend that. The instructor Melinda May is very talented. She puts together quite the show with the kids.”

“How does your town even have this many options?” Loki asks. “There doesn’t seem to be enough space for all of the people here.”

"It's bigger on the inside," Darcy says wryly, and Jane rolls her eyes.

“We’re a big tourist destination during the festival,” Jane explains. “Today’s the first day, which is always pretty slow.”

“This is slow?” Sif asks. “Fascinating.”

“Tomorrow everything will come together, and we’ll get visitors from the neighboring towns and cities. Most of them won’t stay in town, but there are a few campgrounds around the edge of town that get quite a bit of play this time of year,” Jane says. “Anyway, I have a million things to do, but it was so wonderful meeting you guys.”

“Charmed,” Loki says, and Sif shakes Jane and Darcy’s hands.

When the three of them are left together again, Thor looks down at his brochure. “I like balloon animals,” he says.

“I want to go on one of the historical tours,” Sif says. “Who should take him?” she asks, referring clearly to Loki, who looks only mildly affronted.

“Both options sound terrible,” Loki says, “Just leave me here. I’ll find something to do.”

Sif hesitates. “I seem to remember that the last time I left you alone in a new place that you declared yourself king.”

“They were kindergartners. Very impressionable,” Loki says with a shrug.

“Rock paper scissors?” Thor suggests.

“Again, I can be left alone,” Loki points out. “I’m an adult.”

“Well,” Thor stresses the word. “Not a very good one.”

“You’re one to talk,” Loki says with a snort.

“Boys,” Sif says, “Have fun with the balloon animals.” She wanders off with her brochure and a map, and Thor just looks at Loki.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he says eventually.

“You asked, I came,” Loki says.

“It’s rarely that simple,” Thor points out.

“It is today,” Loki says. “I’m not going to look at balloon animals.”

“We’re going to make the balloon animals,” Thor says, “Learn to twist them into fun shapes.”

“I feel like you could do that from a YouTube tutorial,” Loki points out.

“That’s not the point,” Thor says, “The point is to be part of the community. I’ll show you.”

~~~

The festival is a rousing success. When Thor says goodbye to his friends, he nearly feels like collapsing. It’s been days of non-stop fun. There’s been working around it, but it’s far different during the festival week. Apparently working just involves supporting the festival. That’s been fun, though Darcy did briefly dye his hair half-pink ‘accidentally’ at one point while they were manning a booth.

Jane is washing it out for him now, very sweetly caressing his head while she does it.

“You have a soft touch,” Thor says quietly.

“There’s a reason I’m not a medical doctor,” Jane says. “You think I’m gentle now, but you should see me in a serious situation.”

“Is my pink hair not a serious situation?” Thor asks.

“You’ll live,” Jane says, and she runs her hands through his hair. “I liked meeting your friends.”

“But not Loki?” Thor asks.

Jane laughs. “Loki is one of a kind. He asked a lot of weird questions before he left about the town laws. It was . . . strange.”

“He gets like that,” Thor says.

“Family is family,” Jane says, and she rubs his scalp. “You’re going to have pink hair for a couple weeks,” she says, “Most of it is coming out, but it’ll be tinged for a while.”

“It’s fashionable,” Thor mumbles. “At least, that’s what Darcy said when she did it.”

“She’s right,” Jane says. “I’m glad you’re here,” she says softly, surprising him.

“As am I,” Thor says. “I’m glad that my car broke down that day.”

“Me too,” Jane says. “Though at this point, that car is a death trap, and needs to be put out of its misery,” she teases.

~~~

_August 2017_

“I love you,” Thor says.

“I love you,” he says again, this time with a different inflection.

“I like the second one,” Darcy says, watching him as he watches himself in the mirror.

“Is it too early?” Thor asks.

“Do you love her?” Darcy asks.

“Yes,” he replies. “Of course.”

“Then tell her,” Darcy says with a shrug. “You know,” she frowns. “Like people do.”

“Should I do it over dinner?” Thor asks.

“Be careful not to go too fancy, or she’ll think you’re proposing," Darcy jokes.

His chest clenches tightly at the thought.

It’s not a scary idea. It’s--exhilarating. They aren’t there yet, but he can picture it in his head.

~~~

They don’t make it to dinner--Thor gets to Jane’s house, and she’s folding laundry. He kisses her cheek, and says, “I love you.”

She blushes pink. “I love you too.”

It’s simple, understated, and at the end of the day--it’s exactly the kind of happiness he wants in his life. Along with the excellent sex that follows. That is, of course, why they don’t make it to dinner.

~~~

_October 2017_

“I’m thinking about teaching a class over at Gotham U, but I don’t know if I have the time,” Jane tells him one day while they're sitting on the couch together.

The news plays in the background, but it’s inane today for the most part.

“Why not?” Thor asks.

“I have to start working on my re-election campaign for city council. Raina hinted that someone signed up to oppose me. I’m not sure who, but--” Jane frowns. “I care about my town. I like being involved.”

“You could do both,” Thor points out, but Jane shakes her head.

“I can’t spread myself too thin,” Jane says. “I still want to have time for friends and family. And you of course. Though you’re here all the time.”

“True,” Thor says. “Am I here too often?”

“No,” Jane shakes her head. “I like it.”

Darcy pokes her head into the living room then. She’s dressed as a cowgirl for a Halloween party. “How do I look?”

“You look great,” Jane says.

“Fantastic,” Thor agrees.

“Nice,” Darcy says. “This cowgirl needs to find herself someone to ride. I haven’t been having much luck lately.”

“Just keep putting yourself out there,” Jane says. “It’s the curse of the small town. Have you tried any of the new transplants leftover from the festival?”

“Eh,” Darcy says with a shrug. “No love connections. Not everyone is as lucky as you two.”

“We are very lucky,” Jane says softly, meeting Thor’s eyes.

Darcy comes over to the couch, and leans down between them.

“So what’s the status with you two, anyway? Should I start looking for somewhere new to live?”

“No, of course not,” Jane says, “I would never kick you out.”

“Well, at some point I'll have to leave, if this thing is serious," Darcy points out.

“I’m the interloper,” Thor says.

Darcy frowns. “In that case, I officially give my approval for Thor to move in whenever you’re ready. We’ll all be roommates. He's here all the time anyway.”

Thor studies Jane’s face, but he can’t read her expression.

“Gotta go,” Darcy says. “Wish me luck.”

“So,” Jane says when the door shuts. “Are we there yet?”

“I’m ready as soon as you are,” Thor says.

He feels a certainty in his heart--Jane is the love of his life. He imagines their future together sometimes--house, children, _life_.

He figures he’ll be the house-husband, and take his kids around on his pinch-hitting jobs. They’ll have the best of everything.

But that’s the future, and this is now. It’s a delicate balance. He’s more sure about her than he’s ever been about anything before, but he doesn’t want to rush it.

“Me too,” Jane says now. “Maybe it’s time for the next step. You already sleep here. You have a key. It’s barely a step. A small slide along the tile in socks.”

“Okay,” Thor smiles, and leans over to kiss her forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she says, and it feels like a promise.

~~~

_December 2017_

Sif and Brunhilde come to visit for the holidays. “I swear I thought I saw Loki in town the other day,” Thor says, "But then he just disappeared. I think I’m getting paranoid.”

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Brunhilde says. “He’s a disaster, you know.”

Sif laughs. “That’s our Loki,” she says, and she sounds halfway fond, halfway concerned.

It’s a combination of feelings that people often feel with regards to Loki.

“He hasn’t been responding to my phone calls,” Thor says. “Or my texts.”

“He hasn’t been home much,” Sif says conversationally, sitting down with her glass of spiced eggnog. “Maybe he’s off finding a small town of his own.”

“Just so long as it isn’t this one,” Brunhilde says. “I wouldn’t want to ruin the mystique.”

“It would be nice to have him here,” Thor admits, and it’s a little over-simplified to say that. It would be complicated, and nice and troublesome.

“Loki hates small towns,” Sif points out. “I wouldn’t worry about it.

~~~

As the new year approaches, Thor feels more at home than before. He and Jane get invited to nearly a dozen different parties, and it's not just because of Jane. Thor has friends here, like Clint at the Farm, and his singing partner Bruce. He and Darcy have grown pretty close too, and it's nice.

For the first time in his life, he truly feels like he belongs somewhere. He emails his father, telling him that he's finally found the place he wants to be.

He tells him that he's found the woman he wants to marry, and that he's finally found his purpose.

He gets an email a few days later, just a few quick lines. The most important of which says, _I'm happy for you, and very proud._

Thor thinks he could have gone without hearing those words, but he's glad that he won't have to.

~~~

_February 2018_

Sif decides to move to town.

“I love this house,” Sif says.

They’re touring the few open properties in town, and it’s nice. It makes Thor think about the future. He has friends in town, but this will be nice.

“Is it the one?” Thor asks. It has an excellent vibe. Thor can already see her exercise equipment in one of the spare rooms. It has a good feeling to it.

“I think it might be,” Sif says. “I’m glad that you’re happy here,” she says softly. “I think I could be too.”

“I hope you will be,” Thor says.

“I think it was the Founders' Festival that sold me on it,” Sif says. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this town for months. When Darcy texted me that there was an opening for someone with my skill set, I couldn’t help myself.”

“I’m glad,” Thor says, and he truly is.

This town is his _home_ , and now it will be hers too.

“What is the name of this place anyway? It’s been a nightmare to look up.”

“Welcome,” Thor says, and Sif gives him a look as if she thinks he’s lost his mind.

“What?” she shakes her head. “Really?”

“I’m not really sure what the real story is--some people say it was always called Welcome, and others say that they simply forgot what the town was called, and came to call it Welcome.”

“That’s a weird history for a town,” Sif says, “I can’t wait to dig into the historical archives.”

“In the meantime, are you going to make an offer?” Thor asks. The real estate agent is outside taking a call, so they probably don’t have much more time together here.

“Yes,” Sif says definitively. “This is it.”

~~~

_April 2018_

“This is it,” Thor says. “You can do this.”

He’s excited, but nervous.

He’s sitting in the flower shop/auto shop, nervously waiting.

The door dings as it opens, and Jane walks in.

“Thor, what are you doing here?” she asks.

Thor immediately gets down on one knee. “Jane Foster,” he says, and she gasps.

“My life split into two separate sections the day that I met you. Before Jane, and After Jane. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

“Of course,” Jane replies, sinking to the floor next to him. She doesn’t hesitate, just pushes herself right into his arms. She doesn’t even glance at the ring in his hands, just kisses him soundly.

When she pulls away, she frowns at him. “How’d you know I’d be here?” she asks.

“You’re like clockwork, Jane. You always stop by on the second Tuesday of every third month.”

Jane smiles, and then leans her head against his. “This is where we met,” she says softly. “That’s very romantic.”

“I had to gently encourage Steve and Mack not to be around for this,” Thor says. “They went easily.”

“They’re romantics too,” Jane says. “I’m glad that you’re terrible with cars.”

“Me too,” Thor agrees, and they stay there for a few moments more.

They have the rest of their lives ahead of them.

~~~

“Did you know your brother is in town?” Jane asks a week later when she comes home.

“Loki?” Thor asks in surprise.

“Do you have another brother?” Jane asks.

“I have a sister, but we’re not close.”

“As compared to how close you are to Loki?” Jane asks. “Never mind. I saw him coming out of Raina’s office this morning.”

"That’s extremely suspicious,” Thor says with a frown. “I don’t trust it.”

“Maybe he’s looking for a job. He might want to move here and surprise you.”

“No,” Thor shakes his head. “That’s not it.”

“A minor mystery,” Jane muses, then collapses on the couch next to Thor, leaning into him. “I guess we’ll find out what he’s up to eventually.”

“Hopefully sooner rather than later,” Thor replies. He’ll text Sif, and they’ll look into it. With Loki, there’s no telling what he could be up to.


End file.
